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TORONTO - The Raptors have won seven of eight games, with just four remaining on the docket before the playoffs begin, but their head coach has been reluctant to celebrate his teams bittersweet late-season success. Thanks in large part to a soft schedule and their improved efficiency on offence, they are finding ways to pull out games that they have probably deserved to lose. In that way, progress has been made, as Raptor teams of the past would universally find creative and increasingly frustrating ways to squander winnable games. The red flag is routed in their recent slippage on defence, Dwane Caseys bread and butter. With the postseason around the corner, Casey knows that mental and physical toughness is about to become more important than ever. He cant help but be concerned with what hes seen. "If we havent taught defence by now we shouldnt be coaching," he said following a Thursday afternoon practice session. "Its a mindset right now, its a focus. Its this time of year throughout the league, its an epidemic." Over the last two games, Toronto has allowed Milwaukee and Philadelphia - the NBAs two worst clubs - to score 212 points combined, shooting exactly 50 per cent from the field, with each team exceeding 60 points in the painted area. On the season, the Raptors are surrendering 102.0 points per 100 possessions, the eighth-best mark in the association. Since Mar. 25 - a span in which theyve played nine games, six against sub-.500 competition - that number has ballooned to 107.2, ranking 17th, below league average. Offensively, theyve picked up the slack. Over that same stretch of nine games, the Raptors have scored 4.1 points more per 100 possessions than their regular season mark. Simply put, their shots are falling. Theyve connected on 44 per cent of their three-point attempts in the last four contests. That said, theyve made it this far with their commitment to defence. Thats what Casey knows, thats what he preaches and for whatever reason, his team has struggled to regain their identity at the most inconvenient time of the year. "Weve just got to get back on track," DeMar DeRozan said, following Torontos 125-114 win over the lowly 76ers on Wednesday. "Weve got to get out of whatever were not doing on the defensive end before the playoffs start. Just clean that up and use the next four games for that. Understand what were not doing and get back to the basics of what got us to this point." "We saw it on film, we showed the film, we talked about it, went through it this morning," Casey added the next day. "Its something thats going to have to be internal. Guys have to decide individually, Imma guard my yard and Im not going to let a guy blow by me." For the most part thats been the most glaring issue, containing speed and quickness on the perimeter, something the Raptors have been burned by consistently throughout the latter part of the season. Its easy to look at the 126 points Toronto has given up in the paint over the past two games and assign blame to the teams interior players but most of those buckets have come as a result of blow-bys and mental lapses on the perimeter. "Its a lot of things that factor into it and weve got to understand and learn that weve got to bring the same effort and focus every night," Casey said. "Its not something you teach. I mean, were not going to change defensive fundamentals. You cant drill it, its too physical. So its a mindset of understanding where we are in the season and understanding what were playing for." "Its not a lack of energy. Guys are playing hard, were just not focused on what we need to do and what were trying to do scheme-wise and playing smart." Surely some of the drop off can be attributed to injuries and having to shift rotations. Kyle Lowry returned to the court Wednesday after a three-game absence with a knee injury while Amir Johnson, the teams most valuable help defender, has missed most of the last four contests nursing his sore ankle. Johnson participated in a light practice Thursday and is nearing a return to game action, though the coaching staff will be cautious with his playing time when he is able to suit up, as early as Friday at home to the Knicks. "Its a day-to-day thing," Casey said of Johnsons status. "He probably could have went [Wednesday] night if it was totally needed but we need to get him healthy." With or without Johnson, the Raptors will be pursuing history when they host New York Friday evening. With a win, or Nets loss - theyre at home to Atlanta - Toronto would clinch its second division title in franchise history, while also matching a team record for most victories in a season with their 47th. Theyll also have an opportunity to go 15 games above the .500 mark for the first time in their 19-year existence. "That would definitely be an accomplishment," Johnson admitted, "but our main focus is just going game-by-game until we get to the top and then we can celebrate all our accomplishments." Meanwhile, the Knicks are a desperate team, sitting two games behind the Hawks for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Well rested after four days off, they could present a challenge for Toronto and its ailing defence. "We expect nothing but theyre best shot," Casey said. "Theyre going to come out guns blazing, playing hard, as we should after our defensive performance [Wednesday] night. So I expect both teams to come out, I think itll be a hard fought game but weve got to play hard and smart." DeRozan and Lowry are also chasing history as their career seasons come to a close. Lowry needs just one three-pointer to tie Morris Petersons single season franchise record, previously set in the 2005-06 campaign, while DeRozan is 10 made free throws away from matching Chris Boshs mark of 504 from 2008-09. Maximiliano Meza Argentina Jersey . The Kelowna, B.C. rink made the announcement on their facebook page on Thursday night. Ever Banega Argentina Jersey . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. http://www.argentinasoccerauthentic.com/Cristian-Pavon-Copa-America-Jersey/ . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. Nicolas Otamendi Jersey . - A Tuesday funeral is planned in Toronto for 20-year-old Saginaw Spirit forward Terry Trafford. Lucas Biglia Argentina Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings take aim at an eighth straight victory on Monday night as they wrap up a road trip versus the Calgary Flames.10. Vancouver Canucks trade Cam Neely & 1st Round Pick to Boston Bruins for Barry Pederson (1986)Few remember that Neely, the original power forward, spent the first three years of his career with the Canucks. Vancouver gave up on the local product after he put up 104 points in his first three years in the league in an attempt to add some more goal scoring and defensive responsibility to the lineup. Neely exploded on to the scene in Beantown with 72 points and 143 PIMs in his first season while Pederson struggled to regain his scoring touch on the left coast. The cherry on top? The first round pick that the Canucks added to the deal turned into Glen Wesley, who patrolled the Bruins blue line for seven solid seasons at the outset of his two decades in the league. 9. New York Islanders trade Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt and a first-round draft choice to the Ottawa Senators for Alexei Yashin (2001)The Islanders have made a few deals over the years that have left their thriving fan base dumfounded, and this one belongs near the top of the list. After sitting out an entire season, Yashin was looking to get paid and the Islanders were willing to open the checkbook. This deal was seemingly reasonable at the time, as Yashin was one of the games better players at the time and Chara had yet to develop into a menace. But Yashin fell off the cliff on the Island, the pick turned into Jason Spezza and we all know what Chara is now. 8. Boston Bruins trade Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks for Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau & Brad Stuart (2005)In a bit revisionist history, imagine where the Bruins would be if they had never dealt Jumbo Joe. Would they have won the Cup? More than one? Despite failing to get anything resembling a top six player in return for a Hart Trophy winner, the Bruins saved themselves the money that Joe was asking for, and put together one of the model franchises of the league. Depth is often overlooked, as the players stuffing the box scores receive the credit while the sandpaper playing a dozen minutes a night is considered interchangeable and insignificant. The three players that the Bruins got back in this deal were these type of players, who while valuable were often forgotten. However, Joe scored seventy plus points in in seven straight seasons for the Sharks, so no amount of depth can make up for the impact that he has had in San Jose. 7. New York Islanders trade Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha (2000)Mike Milbury strikes again. After taking Luongo 4th overall in 97, he decided to take Rick DiPietro 1st overall in 2000. So obviously he decided to ship Bobby Loo to the Sunshine State. Ironically Jokinen was taken one pick before Luongo in 97, and ended up playing for three different teams in his first three full seasons in the league. This quote from the 2000 draft will go down as one of the more misguided statements in recent history. "Were rolling the dice here a little bit," Milbury said, grinning as if to acknowledge his understatement. "Luongo is going to be an excellent goaltender in this league for a lot of years. But in our minds, we feel DiPietro possesses an element Roberto didnt have." You certainly cant knock Milbury for trying to be bold, and there was no way of knowing that DiPietro would suffer so many injuries that would derail his career, but this move will go down as the feather in Milburys cap. 6. Toronto Maple Leafs trade Tuukka Rask to the Boston Bruins for Andrew Raycroft (2006)The reign of John Ferguson Jr. at the helm of the Leafs was far from glorious, and his decision to trade Rask was especially ugly. The Leafs had both Justin Pogge and Rask coming up in the ranks, and an aging Eddie Belfour on the roster who was in need of some insulation. The decision to ship Rask out instead of Pogge is one that forever marred JFJs track record. Raycroft won the Calder with the Bruins in 03-04, and after playing in the Swedish Elite League during the lockout, made his way to Toronto where expectations were high for the Belleville, Ontario native. There was dreams of Raycroft and Pogge teaming up to form a formidable goaltending tandem for the Leafs, but neither player was able to find their way in the league. Raycroft had one solid season for the blue and white, but failed to find any consistency throughout his career. Rask was just a pup when he was dealt to the Bs, but after developing in Providence for a couple of seasons, the Fin has established himself as one of the best goalies in the game. One can only imagine where the Leafs would be if this deal had never materiialized 5.ddddddddddddMontreal Canadiens trade Patrick Roy and Mike Keane to the Colorado Avalanche for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky and Jocelyn Thibault (1995)We all remember the scene of Roy storming off the ice and whispering into Habs president Ronald Coreys ear. Several days later, he was dealt to the Avs in a move that Canadiens fans still shake their head at. Was it a panic move by the Habs? It sure looks like it in retrospect. The Canadiens thought that they were getting a goalie that would be able to develop into a capable replacement in Thibault, but he was never able a consistent game. All the while Roy won another two Cups in Colorado, and will go down as one of the best goalies of all time. Kovalenko and Rucinsky were capable players, but were never able to find enough success with the Habs to come close to justifying the deal. 4. Edmonton Oilers trade Mark Messier and Jeff Beukeboom to New York Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, David Shaw, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk (1991)While many point to that fateful day in 88 as the one that defined The Boys on the Bus, it can be said that dealing the Moose was the one that officially ended the dynasty of the copper and blue. However, many forget that the circumstance surrounding the departure of Gretzky and Messier from Edmonton differ greatly. While The Great One was sold by owner Peter Pocklington, Messier and his agent (his father Doug) demanded a trade when contract demands werent met. It is often difficult to leverage adequate value when a player publicly demands a trade, but Oilers GM Glen Sather fell short of even getting players that could stay on the ice for the Oilers. Messier of course went on to lift Lord Stanley for the Rangers, while the Oilers havent won a ring since he left. 3. Florida Panthers trade Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round pick (Sergei Shirokov) to the Vancouver Canucks for Alex Auld, Bryan Allen and Todd Bertuzzi (2006)One player appearing on the same list twice? And by the time the week is done he could make it a trifecta. Apparently GMs around the league are eager to try to formulate deals to ship Luongo around the league, but he who deals him continues to get hosed on the return. Bertuzzi certainly had his time as a high-end player for Vancouver skating alongside Marcus Naslund, but getting a franchise goalie for the better part of a decade was worth more than him and some spare parts. 2. Philadelphia Flyers trade Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, two first-round selections (Jocelyn Thibault and Nolan Baumgartner) and cash ($15 million) to Quebec for Eric Lindros (1992) Lindros was a man among boys coming out of junior, but he came along with some heavy baggage. He made it known that he didnt want to play for the Nords, and ended up sitting out his rookie season waiting for a deal. A year later the Nords shipped him to Philly and in return got a bounty that armchair GMs would have a tough time wrapping their heads around. While Lindros burst onto the scene and established himself as one of the best players in the game, the price that was paid for the man-child is still hard to justify. Forsberg established himself as one of the leagues most dynamic forwards, Hextall eventually found his way back to Philly - but he was an established tender that played another seven seasons after the deal. Add in a half dozen role players plus a cool $15 million, and it is hard to justify this deal despite the level of dominance that Lindros displayed during his time in the league. 1. Edmonton Oilers trade Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushenlnyski to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three 1st round picks and $15 million (1988) On so many levels, incomprehensible. Not only because of his status as the greatest player of all time, and not only because it was the end of one of the greatest dynasties the game had ever seen. Deals like this are quite simply not possible in todays league and therefore that much more difficult to wrap your head around. The economic condition that the league is flush with now makes it easy to forget the days when southern expansion was fresh and you could quite simply cut checks for players akin to European footy. It doesnt even matter that the Oilers could have ended up in decent shape had Jimmy Carson kept up his torrid scoring pace or that Glen Sather had next to no part in the negotiations of the best player of all time. The trade was hardly that, but more of a transfer of assets. It shocked the sporting world in a way that cannot be replicated. ' ' '